


To Patch A Wounded Soul

by Daydreamer



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Male Slash, Past Naruto/Hinata, Romance, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-18
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-02 00:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamer/pseuds/Daydreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto Uzumaki is finally beginning to recover from the death of his fiance when an old friend returns to town, one he has not seen since he was a teenager. Sasuke Uchiha broke his heart once, but is what he felt then the same as what he is beginning to feel now when his heart is already in shatters from the death of Hinata?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lohry](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Lohry).



> Written for Lohry on Ygallery upon request.
> 
> She knows how much I love the angst haha

Naruto Uzumaki shivered in the pre-winter chill of late autumn. The leaves were already falling from the trees, leaving the branches shadows of their former selves, much like himself if he wanted to be brutally honest about who he was and what he had become over the last year. Friends constantly attempted to draw him out, taking turns inviting him to dinner or a night on the town. Calls, emails, and letters continued to flood him. He was careful not leave them all unanswered, but he only accepted every third invite to dinner or event. It gave him the image of at least trying to move one without making much effort in doing so.

His dad was the worst of the bunch. The only saving grace was that his father had moved to Florida two years ago to help with his arthritis. Minato Namikaze visited, every few months and called him weekly. It had nearly taken an act of God to get his father to stop calling every night. 

At least it was better than before when he could barely even exist and spent most of the days curled up in bed attempting to make sense of why this had happened. Thank God he was self-employed, because he sure as hell would have been fired after the way he was the last year. Being a freelance writer did have its perks and he had always been rather good at saving money. He could live on his savings alone for a few more years if he was frugal.

But simply existing was not going to cut it anymore and he knew it.

He couldn't blame his friends and family for their concern. He had been in a bad place...was still in that place though no longer in the epicenter. His chest still felt as if a huge gaping hole existed where his heart once sat. Whoever said loss got easier with time obviously had never lost anyone, because it was still hard to get out of bed in the morning. Even almost a year later, her death still destroyed him. If he had been a lesser man he would have followed her into death. Hell, he still wanted to. His apartment, his entire life, was empty without her presence. Simply existing each day was a chore and every night when he lay silently in his cold bed, he wondered if it was worth it. Was this merely existing really worth it? How did a person survive this sort of loss and be capable of living again?

Memories assailed him where ever he went. Even now, walking down the downtown street, he could barely take their assault. He stared blindly, seeking out something to take his mind from her.

The lights of a restaurant were visible down the block and they caught his eye. He and Hinata had eaten there a few times. It was a bit pricy, but worth it on occasion. She had given up a lot to be with him and he had wanted to give her back some of what she had lost. Hinata had never been bitter over being expelled from her family for wanting to be with him and had taken to their less money orientated life. They weren't poor, but it was a definite step down from the life in which she had been raised. It never seemed to bother her that her shoes were bought at the PayLess rather than Louie Vuitton. She was simply the sort of person that always saw the good in things and in him.

And now she was gone.

Stopping beneath a street light, he closed his eyes at the rush of grief. Those spontaneous moments of agony nearly sent him to his knees. All it took was seeing a place they had frequented together or smell a wisp of her perfume on a stranger passing for him to stop and attempt to keep from going home and slitting his wrists or blowing his head off or drowning himself in the tub...anything to stop feeling what he did.

It took several deep breaths and mental calming exercises in order for him to gain control of himself. His chest ached and his stomach felt close to throwing up. If not for Sakura's pleading invite tonight, he would have done as he usually did, stayed at home. She'd finally gotten a recording contract and tonight was her debut concert in a small venue as promotion for her first album. Tonight was important to her and it was the least he could do to support her.

The heavy scent of cigarette smoke reached his nose as he entered the club. It was intimate, yet well known in the city for being a place where artists could play their songs and be recognized by people in the industry. Tonight was a big deal for Sakura and he was determined to be there for her as she reached this milestone. She had stuck by him through all that he had gone through, she deserved this small thing of him.

The house band was plucking away at their instruments while several waitresses darted amongst the nearly packed tables. This was the perfect place for Sakura to premiere herself as a recorded artist. He saw her standing off to the side and made his way to her, her face lighting up upon seeing him.

"Naruto!"

He barely caught himself before she tackled him in a hug. "Hey, I said I'd be here, and I never break a promise if I can help it."

"I know, but it's coming up on a year and..."

"Yeah...let's not talk about it."

Sakura looked horrified and lifted a hand to cover her mouth. "Naruto, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset. No one should stop talking about her or what happened just because I entered the room. I'm...dealing. That's all I can say."

Sakura nibbled on her lower lip before nodding. "Okay. How about I give you something to cheer you up?"

"God, please tell me you didn't set me up with a date. You know I just can't say no to the ladies when they flock to me."

She rolled her eyes and slapped him on the shoulder. "Stop being an idiot. I want you to come meet someone and it has nothing to do with dating. I think you'll be happy to see him."

Sakura latched onto his arm and dragged him through the crowd to a secluded booth located to the far right of the small stage. A small sign with the word 'Reserved' printed on it was situated on the edge of the table. The shadows had hidden the occupant and he shifted into the light, causing a wave of emotion to flood Naruto.

Shock. Joy. Confusion. Anger.

All the emotions flooded him and he could not seem to focus on one. They were all strong and nearly overwhelmed him. In that moment, that flood of emotions eclipsed his ever present grief as he stared at the man standing before him.

"The three of us together again, who would have ever thought it would happen," chirped Sakura happily as she linked an arm through Naruto's and tugged him close.

"It's been a long time, Naruto."

Even that bastard's voice was the same—smooth and rich and deep. Panties had dropped easily at the sound of that voice all during their high school days. Sasuke Uchiha was the biggest heartbreaker in Konoha High's history and once his best friend...the best friend who had left for college and never come back. The best friend he had not spoken to since the summer after graduation. Sasuke had dropped off the face of the earth—no phone calls, letters, or emails. Sasuke had simply vanished.

"Sasuke..."

"Isn't this great?" Sakura pulled both of them to her. "I have both my boys back together on the night of the official start of my career."

"Speaking of which, you should go. The band is ready for you to start."

Sakura released both of them with a start. "You're right. Wish me luck!"

Naruto watched as she worked her way back through the crowd and toward the stage where the MC waited to announce her to the patrons. A few familiar faces stopped her for well wish kisses and hugs. She looked happy. Sakura deserved this.

"It's been a long time, Naruto," began Sasuke.

"No fault of mine," he retorted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Still one to hold a grudge?"

"I'm not holding a grudge. I'll never hold a grudge. I'm simply not going to let you charm me into forgetting that you and I are not friends anymore."

"Naruto..."

"No! You made it quite clear when you left town that you had no intention of returning and that you just wanted to forget about everything that had happened before that. You left me, your best friend, and never looked back. That's where we stand now."

"You couldn't understand my reasons."

Naruto snarled and grabbed onto the lapel of Sasuke's very expensive looking suit. "Try me."

"Another time. We're here for Sakura tonight." Sasuke laid his hand over his and gently tugged away the fingers. "Let's not make a scene and ruin her night."

"God, you're still such a bastard. Just don't talk to me. I'm going to listen to Sakura and then I'm going to go home and forget I even saw you here," he snarled before sliding into the booth just as Sakura took the stage and began her set. Her voice rippled through the room, charming everyone who heard her with her rich, bluesy sound. She was going to be famous, he was certain about it.

"She's very talented. I'm surprised it has taken her this long for a record label to notice her," he commented, almost to himself.

"It's because she had shitty representation," answered Sasuke, dryly.

Naruto arched a brow. "Oh yeah, and who does she have now?"

"Me."

The answer completely dumbfounded him. "Come again?"

"I'm Sakura's new agent."

"How the hell did that happen?"

That familiar arrogance that was one of Sasuke's trademarked expressions spread across his face. "I thought you didn't want to talk to me."

"Asshole. Just tell me how Sakura hooked up with you."

"I happened to be in town and heard her singing at the hotel lounge. I knew it was her from the instant I saw her. We got to talking and I offered to represent her."

Naruto snorted. "And what brought you back into town."

"I work for a prestigious firm and was in town to court a young baseball player who has shown promise to be scouted for the majors. It was pure coincidence that I heard Sakura singing. I immediately signed her to my firm. She's going to be a star, she just lacked the proper person to ensure she reaches the height that her potential promises. Sakura Haruno is going places. If I have my way, I'll make her a household name."

"You make her sound like a commodity."

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "It's my job to promote her."

"You don't have to promote her to me. I've always known she was special. You're the one she could never get to look twice at her."

The relaxed on Sasuke's face faded and he leaned forward. "Let's get one thing straight. My relationship with Sakura is business and friendship. She knows that and is fine with it. We're not in high school anymore. She isn't mooning over me. I never felt anything for her other than friendship. She and I know where our relationship stands. It's my relationship with you that I want to repair."

Naruto frowned and turned his attention back to Sakura who had moved into a faster paced song. Ignoring Sasuke was all he could manage, and it wasn't working as well as he would have hoped. He couldn't invest himself in him again. When he had left and never looked back, Naruto's world had been shattered. Sasuke had been the first person who understood him. They had been unlikely friends and been inseparable. He had expected to grow old being friends with him and when he had disappeared from his life with barely a word, the friendship he had depended on for so long was revealed to be nothing but a fantasy he had created in his head. It was one of the two worst times in his life and he refused to let Sasuke have that sort of power over him again. He couldn't survive it.

"Let's get something straight," he finally said. "I am here for Sakura. When I leave tonight, I don't want you to call me or come by my apartment. You and I aren't friends. I don't know what we are, but I can't do it again, Sasuke. I can't..."

...lose anyone else.

The words were unspoken but they still resounded in Naruto's mind. He couldn't stay here with Sasuke. He couldn't stay because if he did, Sasuke would worm his way back in. Another loss right now would devastate him and he could not do it.

"I have to go."

He didn't wait for Sasuke to argue, standing and tossing a few bills on the table to cover the drink a waitress had brought him and shoved his way through the ever thickening crowd. Sakura was a hit; he knew she would be, but he could not stay. Tears were beginning to sting his eyes as meeting Sasuke brought back those long tamped down memories of what it felt like to feel alone and lost, as if he had lost a body part instead of a friend. He was only just beginning to do more than exist since Hinata had died and now the long ignored memories were threatening to take him back to the dark place he thought he had finally begun to escape. He was so lost in his thoughts and pain that he did not hear the smashing of glass against the wall. He simply needed to get away and try to repair the damage tonight had done to him.

oOo

Sasuke stared at the shattered glass and the whiskey dripping down the wall where he had thrown his glass upon Naruto's exit. He was not sure how he expected tonight to go. His reunion with Sakura had gone well. She had welcomed him back with a grin and a bit of a reprimand for staying away so long, but nothing like Naruto. His old friend acted as if he had tried to kill him by simply showing up.

"Damn it."

He wished things were different. He wished that he had not been so absolutely terrified when he had realized he wanted his friend in ways far from the platonic friendship they possessed. It was not hard for him to imagine the disgust that would play across Naruto's face when he told him the truth, so when he left for college, he abandoned it all in favor of creating a new life. He had decided that he would rather Naruto be pissed at him for leaving rather than hate him for loving him.

When he had seen Naruto tonight, relief had worked through him. It was like breathing again after not realizing he held his breath. The world seemed to work the way it was supposed to.

And then the moment passed and it all went to Hell in a hand basket. He had never realized just how much Naruto resented him for leaving or how much he had hurt him in doing so. Anger boiled to life inside him, not directed at Naruto, but at himself for there was no one he could blame but himself.

He was so lost in his own self-directed anger, that he did not notice Sakura finishing her performance or approaching the booth were he sat. She could have hit him over the head with a frying pan and he would not have noticed. So when she touched him on his shoulder, he jerked as if burned and turned his eyes to her.

"I take it things did not go well with Naruto."

"That's an understatement. I'm sorry for causing him to leave before you finished."

She smiled sadly and took a seat beside him in the booth. "It's alright. I didn't expect him to hang around. I was just glad he came at all."

"What happened to him? He didn't look as I would have thought he would."

Sakura eyed him for a moment before sighing. "I probably should let Naruto be the one to tell you, but since he's not very happy with you at this moment, it falls to me. Maybe knowing will help you mend whatever it is that is keeping you two from fixing your friendship. About three years ago, Naruto met this girl. They hit it off really well and he fell for her. They were going to get married last spring, but she was hit by a drunk driver one night. She died and he hasn't recovered from her loss."

Sasuke was stunned. Naruto had been thin. He had always been the solid sort, so seeing him so thin had set off warning bells in his mind that he had ignored in favor of attempting to repair their relationship. "How long since she died?"

"A little less than a year."

"And the driver?"

"Died as well. It was a bad accident. The worst part was that she was pregnant. Neither one of them even knew." Sakura took a bar napkin and dabbed at her eyes. "For a while, I thought he was going to die too. Naruto always was one to give his all in everything he did, and that included loving. We've all kept a close eye on him, our own little suicide watch team."

Panic rushed through him at her words. Naruto was on suicide watch? The thought of the vivacious and over the top personality of Naruto Uzumaki being turned into that half alive creature that had sat across from him seemed impossible even if he had seen it with his own eyes. To think he could have possibly come back to town to a dead Naruto.

His stomach dropped out and he had to fight not to throw up the dinner he had eaten earlier. "How is he now?"

"He's better," said Sakura. "All of his friends try to invite him out as often as we can. He's gotten better about getting out. It's obvious that he's still hurting, but at least I'm not afraid he's going to off himself. The thought of losing two friends was more than I could bear."

Realizing he was one of those two friends, he closed his eyes for a moment in regret. "I'm sorry."

"You did what you had to do. I understand it, but you're going to have a tough time convincing Naruto of it. When he realized you were really gone and had no intention of returning, he went to a bad place for a long time. For a while, I thought maybe you two had been more than friends for him to react that way."

Sasuke fought the urge to stiffen. Would that they had been more than friends. His longing and fear were the reasons he had left without looking back. Maybe it was not the right idea at the time, but he'd been a teenager. Bad decisions were part of the job description at that age and he was still trying to come to terms with what he felt for Naruto and what it could mean to their friendship.

"We were never anything, but friends." Regardless that he wished they were more.

"I know that now, but still, he was pretty messed up for a while after you left. You guys were more than friends to each other. Try as I might, I could never compete with the relationship you two had. It was pointless to even try. You never made me feel left out, but I knew I would never be to either of you what you were to each other. I don't think anyone could." Sakura grinned ruefully and ran a hand through her pink hair. "Don't give up on him, Sasuke. If you really want to get back what you lost, then don't give up on him. He was never able to stay angry at you for long."

"I won't."

Sakura's face lost the happy look and turned on him. Her brows pulled down and her jaw clenched. She reached out with one hand and latched onto his tie. "But if you aren't planning on sticking around, then don't bother. Don't get his hopes up again and shatter him. He can't take something like that now. If you hurt him, I'll beat you so bad that you'll wish I had killed you."

"I won't let what happened before happen again. I was a kid who didn't understand anything and just needed to disappear and reinvent myself in a new place."

"And did it work? Did you reinvent yourself?"

He frowned and shook his head. "It's not so easy to forget who you are and where you came from. I couldn't forget no matter how hard I tried so I simply busied myself with anything I could in order to fill the hole inside me from leaving everyone I cared about."

"Just don't hurt Naruto."

"I won't. I would never hurt him on purpose." I love him.

oOo

Naruto slammed the door to his apartment with more force than was necessary. In fact, he was rather surprised it did not break. The pictures on the wall in the entryway shook, but thankfully, did not fall from their positions. He couldn't believe the nerve of that guy, coming back after years away and then expecting things to be the same. He had to be delusional or something, either that or just plain full of himself. Most likely the latter.

"Fuck him," he snarled and flung himself onto the sofa. "I know his game."

For a long while he lay there, staring a hole into the wall before growling. Trying not to think of Sasuke caused him to think of him all the more easily. He thought of the time he spent growing up with Sasuke—how the bastard practically ignored him through elementary school and how they became friends in middle school. They had been so close, closer than brothers. He wasn't sure what they had been to each other, but it still hurt and seeing Sasuke tonight had ripped open the scar tissue and enflamed a once thought to be healed wound on his heart.

He wanted to hate him for leaving him. If he had asked him then to leave with him, he wouldn't have even thought about it. He would have gone home, packed a bag, and went wherever Sasuke led with no care to the future. And try as he might, even after all this time, he couldn't hate him. Sasuke had left his mark on him.

"Why did you have to come back, Sasuke?" he asked the silent room, throwing an arm over his eyes to hide the tears that were beginning to leak out. "Why did you have to wait so long?"

He grabbed a pillow and began sobbing into the material. His heart ached so very badly. Hinata's loss was the freshest, but the memory of what it had felt like to lose Sasuke amped up his agony until it boiled over. Just when he had thought he was coming to terms with the pain in his life, the powers that be had thrown him for a loop.

Without thinking, he stood and moved to the hall closet where a large box was shoved beneath several bags of miscellaneous things. He dragged it into the living room and sat staring at it before ripping off the tape and opening it. Inside were his high school yearbooks, some school items, and a large shoebox of photographs. He ignored the yearbooks in favor of the shoebox; for the first time in years, unable to keep them hidden away. It had been impossible for him to destroy them, so he had simply boxed them away and tried to forget.

Most of the pictures were of him and Sasuke, many of them taken by Sakura. It was just like a woman to have a camera ready to snap images. Neither he, nor Sasuke, were the sort to really care anything about immortalizing moments in time.

He flipped through the photographs, reliving his life with Sasuke. There were pictures of them hanging out on the bleachers and at the lunch tables with Naruto sitting with two straws stuck up his nose while Sasuke looked caught between wanting to ignore his existence and laugh his head off. He was unable to hold back the laugh at the look on Sasuke's face. Only Sasuke could look so annoyed and so happy at the same time.

There were more pictures, some at the beach, some at parties. Most of them were simply them being together. Very few were posed, but rather candid shots without either of them noticing they were being photographed. He stared hard at those pictures, frowning because there was something there in Sasuke's face. He couldn't quite describe what it was, but there was definitely some unreadable emotion there.

"God, what am I looking for?" He threw the photographs back into the shoe box and shoved it into the box that contained all of his past. Torturing himself seemed to be his poison of choice today. He was letting Sasuke get under his skin again. One short meeting, no longer than the length of three songs and already he was up in knots.

Sasuke had meant so much to him and to lose him once had crippled him for a long time. If he let him in again, it would put his already battered heart in a very dangerous position and he was not sure if he wanted to risk it. It hurt too much.

"Damn it, stop thinking about that asshole." He slammed his fist onto the arm of the sofa and growled under his breath. Sasuke always did this to him, took up all of his attention. When Sasuke was around, nothing else mattered. How did that bastard do it?

"Fuck," he growled and stood with a huff. He was not going to let Sasuke tie him up in knots any more. 

With that thought firmly planted in his mind, he stalked towards the bathroom for a shower to wash the smell of smoke and booze from his hair and skin before bed. Fucking Sasuke, he wouldn't get the best of him this time. He would be gone in a few days and everything could go back to normal, or what posed as normal these days. He would move on with his life; he had to.

He might have thought himself strong enough, but even with his most forceful determination, Sasuke still crept into the back of his mind. One couldn't really completely forget someone who had always held such a large part of the heart. When had his life become so damn complicated? Would anything in his life ever make sense again?


	2. Chapter 2

The cursor blinked annoyingly on the screen of his laptop, taunting him with the blank screen and unwritten words. It was just a few articles for the local newspaper, but the words would not come no matter what he did. He tried music and then utter silence. He tried exercising and then meditating. There was simply no getting around it.

He had writer's block and he knew who was at fault.

Slamming his laptop closed, he spun his office chair around and stared at the ceiling. That son of a bitch couldn't help but interfere with his life, even if it was by simply breathing. One damn meeting and Sasuke Uchiha had him tied up in knots, pulled between the painful knowledge of what would happen if he allowed himself to relive the feelings he thought long since gone and with the desire to bask in the friendship he had thought never to have again. Sasuke was like gravity, sucking him in no matter the situation.

"Fuck you, Sasuke Uchiha," he screamed at the top of his lungs, only moments later hearing the beating of a broom handle on his floor from the neighbor below him. Damn paper thin walls and floors were a bitch some days, he just found it difficult to move from the apartment where he had lived with Hinata.

Running his hands over his face and then through his hair, he decided that he needed fresh air. Music, meditation, and exercise hadn't worked to clear him of his writer's block, so the only logical choice was to seek out nature. Something had to break this damn block, because going to the source of it was not an option. He was not going to let Sasuke beat him this time.

He sat stewing for a moment before going for his shoes and tugging them on his feet. He hadn't gone out for coffee in a while. It wasn't really fun to go out alone and far too often brought back memories he wanted to avoid, but if he wanted to be honest with himself, he was living in one giant hole full of memories. The overhead stove hood in the kitchen was still scorched black where Hinata had caused it to catch on fire during her first attempt at cooking dinner. The splashes of color that were not orange were due to her touches here and there. He was not even going to think of the bed where he still slept on her side so that he did not have to turn over and see her side of the bed empty. If he was looking to get away from the memories, then he would need to move.

Grabbing his coat, he shoved his arms through sleeves and grabbed a fedora he had taken to wearing a few years ago. He told himself it was not on influence of Sasuke. Some part of him scolded him for lying to himself. In high school, Sasuke had worn a hat more than a little similar to the hat Naruto now wore. He had seen the hat and liked how it looked so he wore it and silently told himself it had nothing to do with Sasuke.

Slamming the fedora to his head, he walked determinedly out the door. The act of keeping his mind blank and simply enjoying the day firmly planted, he walked down the street to the small coffee parlor he enjoyed. The coffee was quite a bit more than what anyone should mind paying, but he needed this.

He stepped into the warm interior and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darker inside when almost as if pulled by magic, his eyes lighted on a figure seated in the corner. It was the dark hair that had drawn his gaze and his jaw literally dropped. What were the odds? Where the fates determined to make him suffer?

Sasuke obviously hadn't seen him as his eyes were glued to the screen of his laptop. The decision before Naruto burned visible in his mind. Did he leave and avoid all contact or did he ignore Sasuke and get the coffee he had come for? Who would have thought the answer to his dilemma would be so difficult to come to? The longer he stood there gob smacked, the more risk he came with Sasuke noticing.

No. He would be strong. He was going to get his coffee and walk around downtown before going back to his work and ignore Sasuke's presence. Knowing how Sasuke became obsessive about the task at hand, unless he disturbed him, there was no chance he was going to even be noticed.

One eye was kept on Sasuke and true to form, his eyes never left the screen. He even drank his coffee while watching the screen. A thought that he might be watching porn caused him to snicker quietly to himself. As if perfect Sasuke would ever watch porn in public. It was always him that pulled that annoying ass to do fun things. The thought startled him when he realized he was reminiscing on the past in a positive way. What the fuck?

There was no way he was going to allow his heart, barely held together with duct tape, to be wounded again. Sasuke's chance had long since passed. The ache that was beginning to burn in his chest was proof positive that he couldn't take another desertion by his former friend. It was kind of strange to feel two distinct aches in his chest. He'd always thought pain was pain, but the hurts he felt were different. One was fresh and throbbed while the other was like an old wound that flared up when irritated enough.

Even after years, the pain Sasuke left on him was still there. He shook his head and stared straight ahead. One would think he was a masochist from the way he continued to allow his mind to fixate on Sasuke.

As he neared the front of the line, the person ahead of him turned sharply and spilled an iced coffee across the front of his shirt. As cold coated his chest, he screeched and flailed back against the person behind him. It started a sort of domino effect and much to his dismay, drew Sasuke's attention. The light he saw enter his former friend's eyes alerted him that he was recognized and he cursed both the idiot who coated his chest with iced coffee and himself for daring to risk staying where Sasuke could see him.

Today was turning out just fucking dandy.

oOo

Reading through a list of possible venues to arrange for Sakura as well as looking into future promotions and sponsors for the newly signed Konohamaru Sarutobi, Sasuke barely heard the patrons of the coffee shop. He adjusted the glasses perched on the end of his nose and clicked through a few other webpages before smirking. He was very good at what he did and had a distinct nose for talent. Most sponsors and venues knew his name and were more than willing to fall in line behind him...just the way he liked it.

Amusement worked through him and he reached for his cooling cup of coffee. He would need to buy another soon. The coffee was good here, though the only reason he came was to finish his work before heading to Naruto's apartment. A very expensive floral arrangement and a box of chocolates were the cost of pulling his address from Sakura. He could have found it illegally online, but preferred not to utilize the hacking skills he had picked up during college when he hooked up with a group of semi-delinquents. 

Sakura had warned him about pushing too fast, but he needed to right things with Naruto. He might not ever have a chance for anything intimate with him and was alright with that. Having him back as a friend was more than he could hope for. And that was fine. He'd never expected to have anything more than such with him anyway.

He took another sip of his coffee when a shriek echoed through the shop and pulled his attention from the screen he had lost all interest in. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised to see Naruto in the coffee shop. It was only two blocks from his apartment. The fact that his shirt was drenched in liquid was a bit baffling, though he shouldn't be surprised. Naruto had always drawn mishaps to him.

Standing, he tugged his reading glasses from his face and met Naruto's frustrated face with a smirk of amusement. He was rather cute standing there. What was more amusing was the fedora sitting atop his head. Since when had he started wearing anything but baseball caps? Another wave of amusement worked through him. He'd used to wear a hat very similar to that during his teenage years. Perhaps winning his way back into Naruto's good graces would not be as difficult as he once thought.

"Still have to be the center of attention, Naruto?" he asked as he walked toward where the older lady who had spilled the drink on him gushed and apologized profusely.

"Shut up, you asshole," Naruto shot back in a low hiss.

Sasuke's lips twitched even wider and he chuckled before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet while approaching where one of the employees was approaching with napkins. He handed the man two twenties. "Go get an extra-large t-shirt and bring it to me."

Less than ten seconds later, a shirt emblazed with the coffee shop's logo was placed in his hand and he turned to face Naruto. "If you're nice, I have a clean, dry shirt for you to change in."

Just as expected, Naruto's lower lip poked out and he narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'd rather freeze to death than take anything from you."

"Don't be a moron." He extended the hand holding the shirt and arched his brow. "It's a token of good will."

The uncertainty in Naruto's eyes hurt him, though it was no less than he deserved. He had brought this upon himself, even if the consequences had seemed the lesser of two evils as a teenager. Still, he needed to make it right. "Come on, Naruto. You said you didn't hold a grudge."

"Fine, give me the damn shirt."

When resignation spread across Naruto's face, a sense of triumph worked through Sasuke. As Naruto reached for the t-shirt, he jerked it just out of reach with a smirk, promptly receiving a look of annoyance that bordered on anger, not the sort of anger that came from hurt, but the playful anger created as a result of teasing. Not wanting to set Naruto off, he transferred the shirt of Naruto's outstretched hand and watched as he stormed toward the bathroom without another word.

Satisfaction and relief worked through him along with the familiar tingle of excitement he always felt when in Naruto's company. At least the raging teenage hormones had ebbed in his maturation. He couldn't count the number of times he'd had to hide erections from Naruto when they sprouted simply from a touch. Naruto had always been a very tactile person and being friends with him and not touching was an impossibility.

When Naruto exited the bathroom, wearing the shirt he had bought him, Sasuke walked toward him. "It suits you."

"Fuck off," he growled and stormed past him and out of the building, shrugging on his coat as he went.

Not wanting to lose this chance, Sasuke raced over to grab the case with his computer and trotted quickly after him, easily catching up. "You're not even going to say thank you?"

"No."

"That's rather rude. I thought your father taught you better."

Naruto froze mid-step and whirled to face him. "Why are you being such an absolute asshole? Oh, wait; you're Sasuke-fucking-Uchiha. How could I have forgotten?"

"You sound a bit miffed."

A bark of laughter escaped Naruto. "Oh, you have no idea just how miffed I am."

"Then, why don't you tell it to me over coffee. I know this rather good coffee shop that, while you do have to dodge flying cups of frozen coffee, their lattes are quite good."

Naruto blinked several times, wearing a look that spoke opposing expressions. He looked torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to punch him. Another little push was all it would take to send him in one of the two directions.

"Seriously, Naruto. Let me make amends."

"Why? Are you in AA or something?"

Sasuke sighed. "I made a mistake and I'm asking your forgiveness."

"Oh, the great Sasuke made a mistake and admitted to it. Is Hell freezing over?" snapped Naruto.

"I admit to my mistakes," he interjected with a smirk.

"Bullshit."

"It's not bullshit. I just don't make mistakes often."

Naruto snorted, which led into a snicker, which led short, but very sweet laugh. He'd missed Naruto's laugh and his heart thudded at the sound of it. "You think that's funny?"

"No," said Naruto after his laughter died. "But, it's definitely something you would say."

"And you think you know me so well?" he asked with a deceptive calm.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Seeing as I slept over at your house just as much as you slept at mine, I think I can read you pretty well."

"I've changed a lot since we were in high school."

The shadow of a smile Naruto wore faded from his face and eyes. "I wouldn't know."

"Then, have coffee with me and get to know what's changed and allow me the same."

He could see the indecision on Naruto's face and sent up a prayer that Naruto's near foolhardy bravery would eclipse that look of uncertainty. There was nothing else he could do to convince him. All that was left was to rely on Naruto's nature and pray.

"Fine, but when my coffee's done, I'm leaving."

Elation spread through him and were he not who he was, he would have fist pumped the air. "Deal, but no guzzling it down as soon as you order. Drink it at a normal pace while we talk."

"Fine, asshole."

Sasuke arched a brow and followed him back into the coffee shop. The easy part was over, and the harder part of winning back his friend was about to begin.

oOo

What in the world was he thinking?

So much for staying strong and keeping his distance from Sasuke. It took that bastard less than five minutes to have him consenting to sitting and drinking coffee. Was it an Uchiha thing or just a Sasuke thing? He hadn't seen or spoken to Sasuke's family for years, but he seemed to recall his older brother having a personality capable of charming honey from bees and the panties from several very attractive girls. Had to be an Uchiha thing.

But, fuck, if Sasuke was going to make him sit and drink coffee, he was going to make him pay for it, literally. "I'll take a large cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream."

Sasuke's brow arched. "Oh?"

"Well, I have to get something out of this so I'm letting you pay for my beverage. Consider it the cost of time with me."

Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes. Typical Sasuke. "Fine."

Naruto left him to go retrieve their drinks and settled down at the table Sasuke had vacated earlier. Slumping in the seat, he lifted a hand to his chest and swallowed around the ache. Damn Sasuke for causing the pain he already felt to intensify. And damn himself for letting it happen. 

"That should be the best hot chocolate you've ever tasted," growled Sasuke upon plunking down a paper cup beside Naruto. "The cost certainly claims it to be."

"Oh shut up, it's not like you don't have money. I'd have to be blind not to remember that suit you were wearing at Sakura's debut. It probably cost more than two months of my rent." Naruto reached for the cup and sighed happily upon feeling the warm radiating outward through the material of the cup. He took a sip and nearly melted in ecstasy. At least now he knew why Hinata always ordered the hot chocolate over the coffee. It really was a divine experience.

"It must be good for you to start having sex with your cup."

Naruto's eyes popped open and he glared, as much as he could muster, in Sasuke's direction. "You know, there are at least four decent coffee places in this town. Why did you choose this one?"

"Chance."

A growl erupted from him and he slammed his palm on the table. "Stop being a douche. You're lying. You suck at lying. You're better than me, but still I can read you like an open book."

"Aren't you over extending yourself? Have you given any thought to the possibility that I'm letting you read me? Several years have passed and we've both changed from who we were. I'm very good at hiding what I'm thinking."

"Still a bastard," he grumbled and sipped his chocolate slowly. He was a man of his word after all and no matter how much he wanted to stand up and stomp from the building, he would stay until he saw the bottom of his cup, even if it was in nothing but silence.

He watched as several expressions ghosted over Sasuke's face. He'd never seen him so...honestly, he looked uncertain. One moment he was grade-A bastard and the next he was like an insecure kid.

"I'm sorry, you're just being difficult."

Difficult? Who did the guy think he was? Did he expect to come back and everything to go back to the way it was before? "I don't know what you want, Sasuke and I'm fucking tired of trying to figure it out. Why do you care?"

"You're my friend."

"No, I was your friend. I was the guy who called your parents every day to try and find you, but you swore them to secrecy. I was the guy they finally got a restraining order on because I was harassing them. I was the guy left behind and forced to remake my life after losing the equivalent of a limb, so I'm sorry if I didn't hug you upon sight. You should be glad I didn't slug you one, because you certainly deserved it." With a final chug of his cup, he slammed the empty paper container on the table and stood. "Time's up."

"Naruto..."

"No," he hissed. "Your time is up. I can't deal with any more of you today."

With that, he stomped out of the shop and down the street. If he kept moving, if he kept his mind focused on something other than Sasuke, maybe he could get through the day. It was kind of funny in a sad way. That was exactly how he lived his life right after Hinata died, one moment to the next. 

His feet were beginning to ache by the time he finally stopped blanking out his mind and he found himself right where he expected to be. He'd walked the route enough times to know it by heart and he really needed to speak with her.

The large ornate gateway into the cemetery was attractive as far as cemeteries went. Hinata's family had paid for the plot. It was the least they could do considering how they treated her when she had started seeing him. He had a sneaking suspicion that her cousin Neji was behind the assistance. He had been the only one to keep in contact with her after her break from the family.

The cemetery was a nice place, he supposed. She could have been buried in a pine box beneath the oak tree down the street for all he cared. Regardless of where her body was placed, she was still dead and would remain so. No amount of pleading or tears would bring her back, because he had tried it all, from screaming his pleas to God to raging against him. Not a peep from the man upstairs.

Not that he thought he would receive one.

Her headstone was surprisingly plain, containing only her name and a beautifully designed orchid. But, it suited her. "Hey," he whispered.

Kneeling by the stone, he began sweeping away a few stray leaves that had found their way around the stone. The cracks in his heart quivered as he knelt there, not widening, but certainly not healing. He leaned his brow against the cold stone and whimpered. "I miss you."

There was no reciprocated response, not that he expected one. He was not so far gone to believe he could see or hear her or even feel her, but he had to say it. 

"You know that guy I told you about, the one I was friends with and then he up and vanished without saying a word? He came back. After years of hoping and wishing, he came back. I'd finally made my peace with it and then he shows up. What a dick. It's just like him to do something like that. He was like that in school too. I think Sakura and I were his only friends, or at least I thought we were friends. After he left...well, I don't know what you would call it, but it felt like I had an arm or leg ripped off. I couldn't remember a time when I didn't have Sasuke there and then suddenly he wasn't. Now, he's back and he wants to reconnect or some shit. I just don't know what I should do." Naruto shivered as a cold wind brushed through him, yet he continued to press his face to the unyielding stone. "Tell me what I should do, Hinata."

The thud of footsteps caused him to jerk from where he knelt and turn to see Sasuke standing silently on the carefully tended grass. Sasuke had always been light-footed, letting him know that the step was purposefully done to alert him to his presence. Anger flushed his cheeks and rose to his feet and stormed to where Sasuke stood, not stopping until he had plowed his fist into his former friend's jaw.

"Son of a bitch! You followed me?"

Sasuke reeled back from the punch, but said nothing as a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his lips. He simply stared at him with those peerless black eyes, nothing expressed in them or his face. That pissed off Naruto and he slung his fist again, connecting with his cheekbone; this time sending Sasuke to the ground.

Sasuke lifted a hand to wipe the trickle of blood from his lips and stood in a smooth motion. "Are you finished?"

"Not even close," he snarled and drove his fist deep into Sasuke's solar plexus. 

Staring at how he stood doubled over, the pain in his chest intensified and that pissed him off all the more. As soon as Sasuke straightened, he lunged at him and pounded his fists against a hard chest, now more in frustration than angry. He wanted to hurt him. He wanted to hug him. 

"Why?" he cried through the tears now streaking his cheeks. "Why did you leave me alone?"

The dual meaning of the question was not lost on him, but he was far too emotionally wounded to allow himself to think of how Hinata's death and Sasuke's abandonment left him feeling far too similar for his tastes. He refused to even consider dwelling on it, and instead, chose to burn himself out by attacking Sasuke.

And he just stood there as the pounding fists lost their strength so to become little more than taps against him. His breath rushed in and out and the sound of blood in his ears gradually faded until he was left clinging to Sasuke's sweater with his brow pressed to his chest.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto shook his head at the words. He'd just beat the shit out of him, and Sasuke was sorry? He just stood there and took the attack, allowed him his pound of flesh...and he was sorry.

"I was an idiot back then. I didn't want you to hate me, so I left and in turn made you hate me anyway. I suppose I didn't think things through as well as I had thought. It seemed best at the time."

Again he shook his head, keeping his face pressed into the warmth of Sasuke's chest. If he lifted his head, reality would come back and he wanted things to stay right where they were. He wanted to forget the past and just have Sasuke back. "I don't hate you," he whispered.

When Sasuke didn't respond, he finally pulled back and stared at him. "You hurt me. I'm pissed as hell at you."

"I got that."

He slapped his hand hard against Sasuke's chest and felt more than a little satisfaction at the flinch. "I don't hate you," he repeated.

"I'm sorry," he murmured again and lifted his arms to surround Naruto in an embrace. "I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry your fiancé died. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

"Bastard," he mumbled and gradually relaxed into the hug. A hug from Sasuke had always been a rare treat and though he should be struggling and punching him some more, he found himself preferring to slump against him and bask in the warm body pressed to him.

He shivered again at a particularly cold breeze and pulled back to stare at Sasuke. His jaw and cheekbone were already starting to swell. He imagined his body was in pretty much the same state. It was nothing life threatening, but he still felt guilty about attacking him...even if the bastard deserved it and worse.

"Are you hurt?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I've had worse."

"I'm not surprised. You're a dick to most people; it was only a matter of time before someone beat the shit out of you." Naruto glanced back to Hinata's headstone and sighed. He knew exactly what she would say to him in that moment and it pissed him off.

And still, he found himself doing as she would have said anyway. "Come on, we should put an ice pack on your face."

"You don't have to. I can take care of it."

"Stop being an ass and let me do this. It's your fault anyway." He turned and stormed away without making sure Sasuke was following. He wasn't worried though. The bastard had turned into a regular stalker. He would follow.

oOo

Sasuke winced as a bag of frozen peas was slammed onto his face with more force than was necessary. "Ouch, damn it."

"It's your fault for not dodging the punches," growled Naruto before slumping down in the chair across from him and staring at him.

"What?"

"You look like shit."

He imagined he did. When Naruto had thrown that first punch, it had hit him like a freight train. He couldn't imagine what insanity allowed him to stand there and take the hits without even trying to escape them. If being Naruto's punching bag this once was what it took to ease his suffering, then he would willingly do so. The aches from his head down to his abdomen scolded him for his idiocy. Taking those hits was something Naruto would have done.

"I deserved it," he stated.

"God, and you call me an idiot." Naruto dabbed some ointment on the small cut at the corner of his mouth. "The next time someone throws a punch at you, don't stand there and take it."

"Even if I deserve it?"

Naruto scowled and nodded. "Even then."

"I didn't know you cared so much."

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to apologize or anything, if that's what you're angling for."

Sasuke smiled and shook his head. "I'm not angling for anything."

"Why don't I believe that?"

He sighed again and too ahold of Naruto's wrist. "I just want what we had. I want to be your friend again."

The apprehension on Naruto's face broke his heart. He was the reason his friend felt that way. "Please, Naruto."

Naruto lowered his gaze to the table, teeth biting at his lower lip. "How do I know you won't leave again?"

"Because I say I won't. I'm not the same person I was then. I understand my mistakes."

When Naruto's expressive blue eyes finally met his, there was still uncertainty, but there was also hope. It was that hope in those eyes that soothed the tattered ends of his soul. He didn't say another word, but his mind chanted loudly a repeated 'please'.

"I should say no," stated Naruto. "I should kick you out and be done with it."

The words were like daggers to Sasuke's heart and he closed his eyes in resignation. It was what he deserved, he supposed, for allowing his fear to dictate his life choices.

"But, I'm not a bastard like you. I don't know if we can be like we were before." Naruto shifted where he sat before sighing. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm willing to try. I'll stop trying to act like you and you can stop playing a stalker. We can start over, I guess."

The hope that filled him nearly caused him to double over. Naruto was willing to give him another chance, a chance to make things right between them. It was more than he could have hoped for. "Thank you."

"Don't think I'm letting you completely off the hook. That shit you pulled back then...well, let's just say you have a lot of making up to do." Naruto dropped his gaze, his cheeks flushing red. "And, about today, I'm sorry."

If all it took was taking a beating to get back at least part of what he had lost, Sasuke would have taken more. It might not be what they had before, but it was a start. "How about dinner tomorrow night, as my first step toward fixing things?" 

As if dinner could make up for what he had done.

"You paying?" asked Naruto teasingly.

"You certainly seem to enjoy spending my money," he shot back.

Naruto's lower lip poked out. "Well, you have more than me."

He knew he was lost when that happened. Not much had changed in that respect. "Fine, but I get to pick the place if I'm paying."

"Deal!"

The smile on Naruto's face might not have been the full wattage expression he remembered, but it was enough to encourage him. Tomorrow couldn't come quickly enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke stared in the bathroom mirror of the hotel suite he was currently living in. He rented an apartment in New York City, but if he wanted to be honest, he rarely lived in it. Hotel rooms had become the norm for him, with him only staying in his apartment on the odd days he had to be in the city for meetings with his firm. It suited him, considering that he didn't really own anything of value other than some signed memorabilia several of his clients had given him. Some were probably worth a considerable amount of money, not that he would ever sell them. His apartment was little more than these hotel rooms he stayed in—a place to sleep.

Some of his colleagues took less of a hands-on approach with the talent. He supposed that if he was not who he was, it would be much the same with him. But something kept him from truly settling down. It was not a far stretch to assume that thing was Naruto. Everything in his life always seemed to roll back to him. His lovers, with the exception of Suigetsu and Juugo in college, were always blond with blue eyes. Of course, none of them could quite match the hue of Naruto's hair and eyes, but it didn't matter. He always closed his eyes during the act and imagined the one he truly longed to be with. After so long, it became a necessary act in order for him to even get off. That, would definitely be something that he would not tell Naruto.

Running fingers through the back of his hair, he nodded in satisfaction. Even if he was the only one who thought of tonight as a date, he wanted to look good. Naruto was ingrained in his heart and he only wanted him to be happy. The sad, barely concealed pain in his eyes tore at him. Even if he wasn't with him, he would be happy knowing that pain was gone from his friend's face.

Grabbing his jacket from where he had thrown it over the back of a chair, he slipped silently from the suite and walked with determined steps into the lobby. He had to pick up Naruto before heading to the restaurant. He would never hear the end of it from him if they missed their reservations. Already, he could hear Naruto's heckling about how he primped too long in front of the mirror before coming to get him...or rather, it was something the old Naruto would have teased him about. With their renewed acquaintance still fledgling in nature, he didn't know anything of how Naruto would respond to him.

The rental car purred to life as he turned over the key and drove easily from the parking garage adjacent to the hotel. It wasn't a particularly long drive to Naruto's apartment, though the quality of neighborhoods dropped considerably. The neighborhood Naruto lived in wasn't particularly bad, just a little run down from years of wear and tear. It showed its age with slightly rundown buildings and eccentric people.

He took the steps to Naruto's floor two at a time, heart beating like a drum in his chest. It really felt like a first date if the butterflies in his stomach were any indication. He swallowed back the newly formed lump in his throat and raised a hand to knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Who do you think it is?"

The door opened and Naruto stuck his face through the crack that formed. "Damn, I'd hoped yesterday was a dream."

Sasuke's lips twitched and he arched a brow. "You're an idiot."

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Let me get my coat."

As they walked down to the waiting car, Sasuke couldn't help but admire Naruto from the corner of his eye. He was wearing that fedora, plunked down flat on his head—unlike the slightly jaunty angle that he knew he had worn his all those years ago. He wondered off-handedly if it was a desperate attempt at refusing to acknowledge the inspiration for wearing the article. The hat looked good on him. Even looking slightly gaunt, Naruto looked good. He was well put together.

"What are you staring at?"

"I'm not staring at anything. I'm looking straight ahead."

Naruto shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and rolled his eyes. "I read Sasuke body language. Not that much has changed since we were younger. So, do I have something on my face?"

"I was just curious about the hat," he asked with a barely concealed smirk of amusement. He couldn't wait for Naruto's response.

"It has nothing to do with you," came the quick and strangely determined answer. Oh, that was so much of a lie that he wanted to cackle with glee.

"I didn't say it had anything to do with me," he offered, anticipation barely kept from his voice.

Naruto's lower lip poked out and he scowled. "Bullshit. You implied."

"I did no such thing."

And so it began. "You did so. I heard it."

"All I said was that I was curious about it. How is that implying anything?"

"I know you," growled Naruto. "You made an art out of saying nothing and still saying everything. I can read you like an open book."

Sasuke blinked and shook his head. "I doubt that," he muttered.

If Naruto could read him, he would have picked up on his feelings, feelings that still remained after all this time. No, Naruto only thought he could read him, but there was a layer to him that was carefully hidden away so to keep any and all from realizing the true depth of his emotional attachment to his friend.

"Seriously, you implied."

"I don't want to fight with you, so I'll let this slide, but just so we're clear, I didn't imply anything."

Naruto seemed to want to continue the argument that went absolutely nowhere. All their past arguments seemed to go along that same circular track. In truth, they were less of arguments to him and more of a sort of foreplay that turned him on more than any kisses and touches ever could. Already he could feel the tingling rush of blood slowly seeping into his dick. It wasn't anywhere near hard, but it could very well get that way if they continued to play out the evening true to their normal form.

The short drive to down town's more active streets was thankfully short and he was thankful to find a small parking area not far from their destination. Tonight was going exactly as he predicted.

"So, where are we going?"

"I made reservations at Itachi's restaurant."

Naruto stopped walking and stared at him. "Come again?"

"Didn't you know that my brother is a world class chef? He owns a few restaurants nationwide, but his flagship is here." Sasuke pointed to a rather attractive building, decorated in a tasteful rendition of old Japan. "Have you ever eaten here?"

"No," Naruto replied. "I'd have had to sell an organ to afford the appetizers."

Chuckling, he steered Naruto toward the door. "Don't worry about the price of anything. I get a special discount since he's my brother."

"Who told you that lie?" snorted Naruto finally as they walked inside the warm entry. "I remember how you and your brother acted. Itachi will probably charge you double just to get a rise out of you."

"Itachi and I have a much better relationship now."

Naruto snickered and gestured for Sasuke to go to the waiting hostess. "Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

Sasuke shot Naruto an annoyed look, before turning to the woman. "Sasuke Uchiha."

She flipped through the leather bound book arranged on the stand. "I'm sorry, sir. Could the reservation been made under a different name?"

"I doubt it since I made it through my brother."

Naruto's arched brow had morphed into a snicker, just short of a full on laugh. "You actually made the reservation with your brother? Are you sure out of the two of us that I'm the idiot?"

He sent Naruto a warning glance and turned back to the woman. "Please tell my brother that if he isn't out here immediately, I'll report him to the better business bureau."

Naruto wasn't even attempting to stop his laughter. "Come on, Sasuke. This is a little teasing from your brother. I know somewhere we can go. It will even be a bit lighter on your wallet."

Sasuke growled and held firm to his feet, his glare nearly cowing the poor hostess. It was more than the fact that his brother decided to revive their little rivalry, it was that he wanted to show Naruto a nice evening. His plans were for him and Naruto have dinner and then maybe head to the town square where he heard some musicians were going to be playing live music. Tomorrow, he was going to give his brother a piece of his mind...and maybe a punch or two for good measure. He knew Itachi was the master of assholes, but he had thought their childish ways of treating each other were behind them.

"Stop being a dick. Come on. You can plot Itachi's demise later. I'm hungry."

Naruto latched onto the arm of his coat and dragged him once more into the chilled evening air. "This place has the most amazing ribs you've ever tasted."

Barely a block down the street, they found themselves at a rather ramshackle place. It wasn't the expensive exterior of Itachi's restaurant, but it did have a sort of charm. The plaque outside said the place had been there for over fifty years. The streets had changed, but the place called Akimichi's Place remained the same.

There was no hostess. Naruto, his hand still on Sasuke's jacket, led him to a secluded booth in the back. Almost immediately, a t-shirt wearing waitress approached and took their drink orders.

"We'll have a pitcher of whatever's on tap and the unlimited ribs for both of us. Oh...and two extra large loaded fries."

Sasuke blinked dumbly as Naruto ordered for them. "How do you know I wanted ribs?"

"Because I say you do. Seriously, they are the absolute best here."

"I'll take your word for it," he said with a chuckle.

Despite the crowd in the small tavern styled restaurant, two heaping piles of ribs, large baskets of smothered fries, and a pitcher of beer arrived quickly. Naruto dug in with a gusto Sasuke was expecting. Not much had changed and Naruto always ate as if someone was going to take his food from him. Sauce was smeared across his lips and chin, making him appear almost childlike and drawing a chuckle from him.

A paper towel was ripped from the roll on the table; but as Naruto swiped across his face, he left a streak just to the right of his lips. The urge to lean forward and lick clean the spot nearly overwhelmed him. He wondered just how good Naruto would taste with the hint of barbeque flavoring his skin. Blood seemed to rush from his head and he turned his attention to his own food as a distraction. It was far too easy to fall into the old habits of looking for anything to keep him from popping boners around Naruto. Most of his high school years were doing just that.

"How did you find this place? It looks like it's been here forever."

Naruto shrugged and grabbed another rib from his plate. "One day I was starving and was just looking for anything that might be cheap. I've never really rolled in dough. My dad had already retired and moved down south, so I was on my own. This place looked like it fit the bill. It's like the best place to eat, with the exception of that little noodle house on 14th Street. Hinata and I..."

The change in Naruto was almost instantaneous. He went from laughing and cheerful to withdrawn and morose in barely a second. His normally brilliant blue eyes went dull, not like he should be. Naruto should be boisterous and outgoing, not this withdrawn shadow. He was suddenly grateful to Sakura for preparing him with knowledge of Naruto's past. It was why he had followed him to the cemetery the previous day and why he took the beating without a single complaint. He wanted Naruto to expel the depression, not abandon his former love's memory, but to learn that life still moved around him. He wanted Naruto to be the Naruto he remembered. He'd had a glimpse of him tonight before the shadow clinging to him had taken over once more. 

"Tell me about her."

"I'd rather not."

That was not the sort of answer he was going to allow. Naruto was allowing his pain to fester, rather than airing it out. "Please."

oOo

Naruto stared at Sasuke, fighting the urge to punch him again. If he didn't want to talk about Hinata, then he sure as hell wasn't going to. That asshole was always so damn bossy around him. He always knew what was best. He wasn't going to open up himself to the pain of speaking about her, especially not with him. He refused to allow Sasuke to see him so weak and worn.

But, he always was a sucker for Sasuke when he said that word. All it took was a please from him and he was very nearly putty in his hands. Sasuke rarely entreated in such a way. More often than not, he was the sort to demand things, be they answers or items. When Sasuke said please, it was precious, and important to him.

And so, he found himself opening his mouth and speaking about her in a way he had not until that moment. "She was a kind person, a little shy, but very determined when she set her mind to something. I met her when I was asked to write up some brochures for her family company. She was pretty, so I asked her out for coffee and we went from there. It was slow, but she sort of grew on me...a lot like you did."

"I think we grew on each other. Tell me more."

And so he did. The words poured from him, everything from little stories of amusing events to the more serious to when he proposed to her. They fell from his lips and he was unable to stop, even when the food arrived. Throughout the messy meal, he introduced Sasuke to Hinata. It felt right and some part of him eased at talking to someone about her, about the sort of person she was and how much he had loved her.

They had just finished their meal, when Sasuke asked the question about the one thing he had avoided speaking of throughout it all. "What happened?"

His hand shook as he reached for his glass of beer and downed it in a few deep gulps. The waitress arrived with a fresh pitcher and he turned to her as if she was his salvation. "Can you bring me a bottle of Jack and a shot glass?"

He ignored the look of reproach on Sasuke's face. "If I'm going to talk about that, I need more than some beer in me."

With the bottle between them, Naruto pushed away the remainder of his ribs and poured the whiskey into the shot glass before downing it in a single swallow, pouring himself another immediately. "Damn, that shit burns."

"Naruto..."

"Don't start with me, Sasuke. You asked and I'm going to tell you. Not much to tell, really. She left for work and I stayed at home like normal. In case you didn't realize, I'm a freelance writer. I write articles for most of the local newspapers and submissions for some national literary magazines. The money's not great, but it's doing what I enjoy. Everything was fine when she left. She brought me a cup of coffee and I kissed her goodbye. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that day. She even called a few hours later and said that she would be late coming home. She worked with a hard-ass attorney who liked long hours. Again, nothing unusual. I fix dinner and then dozed off in front of the television. The next thing I know, the police are at my door telling me there was an accident. I expect them to take me to the hospital, but we go to the fucking morgue where they tell me that she was hit and killed by a drunk driver...a fucking drunk driver. I had to identify her body. If the crash hadn't killed that bastard, I would have done it. God!" He took another swallow of the whiskey, hissing at the burn and welcoming the haze that soon followed.

He felt the touch of Sasuke's hand on his wrist and jerked away before the warmth had a chance to soak in. Comfort hurt as much as the loss sometimes. He didn't want anyone's pity.

"Just like that, she was gone. There was no warning. Of course, I found out later that she was pregnant." He'd stopped pouring the whiskey and was drinking it straight from the bottle. "I was going to be a dad and that was taken from me too."

He stared ahead, not seeing. The past was being relived in his mind when the coroner told him about the blood test results. She was barely pregnant, just a few weeks, but all he could hear was that he had lost not only his fiancé, but his unborn child as well. It had been like a nail had been driven into his chest. As if Hinata's death wasn't bitter enough, they had to twist that screw a little more painfully into him. Why had they told him? Did telling him that make her any less dead? Did it offer any comfort?

"So now you know," he slurred. When he saw Sasuke's lips part, he slammed the bottle onto the table with enough force to nearly shatter the glass. "Don't you dare tell me you're sorry. Everyone tells me they're sorry, but I don't want to hear they are sorry."

"Then what do you want to hear?"

He scowled and struggled to think through the haze forming in his mind. "I don't know...damn it...I just...don't tell me you're sorry when you don't understand what I'm feeling."

"I don't understand exactly what you're feeling," said Sasuke in a quietly calm voice. "But, I know what it's like to lose someone."

"Did they die?"

He shook his head. "No, but they were no longer in my life and it felt as if I had lost a limb. I could barely function. I wanted lash out at anyone, even though leaving was my choice."

Naruto laughed bitterly. "You're good at that...leaving. You left me...and you left the person you loved. You're such a bastard."

"I know."

He reached for the whiskey and turned the bottle up, glad that Sasuke was not trying to stop him from drowning himself in the liquor. He never drunk himself into a stupor after Hinata died. Going down that road was not somewhere he wanted to travel. 

Tonight was different. He wasn't alone. Sasuke would save him from himself before it got out of hand. Sasuke had always been that for him. He hated him. He loved him. His feelings aside, when he was with Sasuke, he could always be himself. Strange, Hinata always invoked that same feeling in him. It was one of the reasons he had fallen so hard for her.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes. He was so not willing to go down that road. His feelings for Hinata and Sasuke were as different as night and day. Thinking of them as similar caused his head to hurt. It was too bizarre and his head was getting really fuzzy from the Jack.

"I think I want to go home now," he mumbled as he laid his head on the table beside his plate.

"Yeah." He vaguely listened to Sasuke speaking with the waitress and paying the bill before strong hands slipped under his arms and led him from the table. As they slipped into Sasuke's car, he turned his gaze to him. "Should you be driving?"

"Do you think you should?"

A growl rumbled from him and he reached to take a swing at Sasuke, only to miss because of his currently fucked up depth perception. "You drank beer."

"Only a sip or two. I'd probably have a higher blood alcohol level from a dose of Nyquil." Sasuke put the car in drive and Naruto leaned his head against the cool window. The night lights whooshed past him and he closed his eyes against the nausea they brought. When he opened them again, he was staring at the exterior of his apartment building. 

"Damn...didja fly or something."

He could hear the eye roll from Sasuke as he was helped from the car. His balance was shot and he stumbled over the curve toward the door, banging his foot on one of the steps leading into the building. "Stupid step," he mumbled.

The steps leading up to his apartment were just as challenging and he had to grip the side rail to keep from tipping over. Damn, going up stairs while drunk off his ass was not an easy task. He heard steps from behind him and scowled.

Sasuke was following him. He turned on his heel, about to give that stalking asshole a piece of his mind when the too fast movement had him stumbling forward and burying his face in the warmth of his chest. He could smell that expensive cologne he wore. Damn, he smelled good. The fragrance sent tingles down his spine and he found himself taking in an even deeper breath.

"Go away," he mumbled against Sasuke's chest, though his hands latched onto the material of the shirt and he shivered at the touch of Sasuke. He missed being with him, touching him and teasing him. It was as if the years of separation had never happened. Sasuke was here with him again.

"I'm not leaving you in this state."

Naruto shoved away in anger, the alcohol giving voice to his frustrations. "Why? You think I'm gonna off myself? Everyone else did. They wouldn't leave me the fuck alone. Are you like everyone else?"

"No. I don't believe you'll kill yourself. I just want to stay with you."

"Hmph," he grunted and tugged his key ring from the pocket of his coat, attempting to push it into the lock, but unable to stop his vision from swimming enough so he could do so. He growled to himself and felt Sasuke step behind him, their bodies nearly brushing. His hand slid over his hand and steadied him enough to slide the key and turn the lock.

"Thanks."

Sasuke nodded and stepped back. Naruto pressed open the door and moved inside, hearing Sasuke follow him inside and close the door behind them. He chose to ignore him and stumbled toward the sofa, collapsing upon it and throwing an arm over his eyes. Almost immediately, the world began spinning behind his closed lids and he groaned again. He was going to throw up.

Immediately, he felt Sasuke take his right leg and place the foot on the floor beside the sofa. The result was almost immediate and the dizzying spinning behind his eyes eased. He lowered his hand from his face and stared at his friend. "What did you do?"

"Keep a foot on the ground while you're drunk. It will keep the spinning behind your eyes from making you throw up. Drinking messes with your equilibrium, so you have to remind your brain that you are not spinning by keeping a foot on the ground."

Naruto blinked, not really understanding but grateful all the same. "Nice trick."

"I had a drunkard for a friend in college. He drank so much, I think he was part fish. I wouldn't be surprised if he has already died from killing his liver."

"Not much of a friend if you don't keep in touch," he grumbled under his breath.

"You're not much of a friend if you keep bringing up my mistakes."

Naruto glared before closing his eyes. "You deserve it."

Those were the last words he spoke as the booze took its toll. Before he realized it, he was asleep.

oOo

Sasuke groaned under his breath as he watched Naruto slip into a drunken sleep on the sofa. His hair was mussed and his lips were slightly parted as he snored lightly. Even in that drunken state, Naruto was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. He was certain that Naruto would argue with him at being called beautiful, but there were no other words to describe him. He was Naruto and everything about him was beautiful to him.

He trailed his fingers down the slightly stubbly skin on naturally tanned cheeks and nearly moaned aloud when Naruto turned into the touch much like a sleeping kitten. The urge to get closer nearly overwhelmed him and he knelt beside the sofa, careful not disturb him as he stared at the face that had haunted his dreams for years. Fear had held him back, still did. His tongue tingled with the urge to tell Naruto how he felt, to bring everything into the open.

But, he continued to be paralyzed with the fear of losing him. He had made mistakes as a teenager, thinking that removing himself from Naruto's presence was the answer. Absence only made his desire to be with him all the more painful. Staying away from Naruto was not the answer, and yet he was tortured by staying with him. It was a perplexing and painful dilemma.

His fingers continued to trail over Naruto's cheeks before drifting down to touch his lips. He had done this once before when Naruto had slept over. Naruto always slept so deeply that he was able to touch him and he never realized it. It was a moment of weakness that shamed him, yet he was now reliving that weakness and making the same choices as before.

As he touched the soft lips, his jaw clenched in an attempt to hold back the moan rising in his throat. What would it be like to kiss him? He might have savored a few short brushes of skin, but he had never gone so far as to take liberties of Naruto's lips. The momentary bravery had never extended that far.

But, he wanted so desperately to know what it would feel like.

He was weak. These liberties he was taking could be termed as sexual assault. Naruto was in a drunken sleep. He wasn't consenting. Hell, he didn't even have the mind to consent.

Again, the weakness in him overrode the honor. Without being able to stop himself, he lowered his head and brushed his lips lightly over the slightly parted mouth. It was only a slight brushing of the flesh, but it was enough to bring rise to the beast inside him. He pressed close again, this time sealing their lips together.

Naruto moaned into his mouth and he was unable to stop the answering sound that rose from him. His tongue flicked forward and he truly tasted Naruto for the first time. There was the heavy influence of liquor and the ribs he had eaten just a short while ago, but even through those myriad of flavors, he could taste Naruto.

One hand darted forward and cupped the stubbly jaw, fingers sensitized to the textured bit of skin and hair. He was nearly panting into Naruto's mouth. Pleasure unlike any he had ever experienced rose in him the moment he felt Naruto's lips move beneath his. This was better than he had ever imagined. All other kisses of his life, any sexual encounter even, paled in comparison to the feel of Naruto returning his kiss. He could have died happy in that moment.

It was a nice fantasy at least, but like all dreams, they could easily turn to nightmares in the passing of an instant.

As he pulled back to stare down at Naruto's face, he saw his friend sigh happily only moments before a name whispered past his lips. And it was not his name.

Pain ripped through his chest. He should have known that in such a state, Naruto would have imagined himself kissing his dead fiancé. Before it was himself and his fears that stood between him and Naruto and now it was a dead woman. He understood, he really did, but that didn't make the ache in his chest any less painful.

With a sigh, he sat back on his knees to stare at Naruto one more time before rising to his feet. He took a blanket from a nearby chair and draped it over Naruto's sleeping form before silently letting himself out of the apartment and locking it behind him. His face was devoid of emotion when he walked into the lobby of his hotel and approached the front desk.

"Are there any messages for me?"

The lady behind the desk turned and checked before handing him several pieces of paper with a smile. He flipped through them, one drawing his attention. It was a message from the main office of his firm. The head of his department was a bit eccentric, but he was a good guy.

_Call me. I've word of a new prospect for us to sign._

Sasuke tucked the messages into his coat pocket and walked into the hotel room. He locked the door and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, finding Kakashi's number.

"Sasuke, it's a pleasure to hear your voice."

"Why didn't you just call me?"

"Where is the fun in that? I bet it's a riot to get messages left for you at the front desk."

He rolled his eyes and began stripped his clothes from his body. It wasn't necessarily late, but he was exhausted, emotionally at least. "What do you want?"

"Have you closed up your deals in Konoha?"

"Just a few small loose ends to tie up. It shouldn't take more than a day at the most," he answered while tugging the socks from his feet.

"Good. How would you like to go to California? There is a band performing. I want them signed to our firm. Go listen and talk to them if you think they are worth it."

Sasuke paused for a moment. It would mean leaving Naruto again, but he needed some space to come from him. It wouldn't be like before, but he needed to evaluate his feelings and gain some control over them before continuing the friendship.

"Email me the details. I'll sign that band."

He heard Kakashi chuckle in his ear. "That's what I like to hear from you. Your ticket will be waiting for you at the airport. Why don't you take a few days while you're out there and have some fun? You work too hard."

"We'll see," he said before ending the call and lying back on the bed. 

It was for the best, but he knew without a doubt that Naruto would be pissed at him. That was nothing new, and this time he would be back.


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke reviewed the information Kakashi had forwarded him on his phone while waiting for Sakura to join him for breakfast. He had a few papers for her to look over and sign. He was extra careful with her file since she was an old friend. Too many times had he seen the industry as a whole devour artists, even those with decent representation. It irked him that he would have to turn her file over to one of the other agents for the firm, but he was tasked with signing artists and getting them started, not handling the day to day. His job got the ball rolling and afterward, he turned them over to those more capable to handling things. He had the eye for talent.

"Sorry for making you wait, Sasuke."

He glanced up from his phone just as Sakura slid into the seat across from him. "Don't worry about it."

"So, how did it go with Naruto last night?"

"It was good. We talked and it felt almost like old times for a while."

A small frown appeared between her brows. "For a while?"

"I asked Naruto about his fiancé...and then got him drunk."

Sakura had just taken a sip from her water glass and choked on the swallow. "You got Naruto drunk?"

"Not on purpose. I asked about her and he needed some whiskey to bolster him enough to tell me about the accident. I didn't realize how much he loved her."

A look of pity spread across Sakura's face and she stroked a hand over the tapered base of the glass. "Yeah, he loved her. She was a nice girl who treated him like he hung the moon. Much like you do."

"What?"

"Don't try to fool me, Sasuke Uchiha. I know unrequited love when I see it. I felt it for long enough that I should recognize it." A bitter smile curved her lips downward. "I can't believe how blind I was back then. You only let me hang around because Naruto wanted me around. I guess...well, it's in the past."

"Sakura, I never..."

"It's fine. I got over you a long time ago. It just stings a little to think that I totally did not notice how you mooned over him all those years. When I look back, I want to slap myself for being so blind." She shook her head ruefully. "Oh well, we were all young and blind."

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm happy just being around him."

"Cut the bullshit. Don't play the sad romantic. It's not who you are. And don't let Naruto force you to. You're Sasuke Uchiha. You're aloof and mysterious and a complete asshole. That's who you are. That's who I thought I was in love with back then, but I came to realize that you would never love me like that. I don't think either of you realize how much you both love each other."

Sasuke shook his head. "What I feel for Naruto doesn't matter. He would never feel that for me."

"You're both idiots. Naruto has always loved you. In high school, we didn't know anything. You were the first person he thought of when he wanted to go out. He didn't even want or need a girlfriend when you were around. You stayed at his house just as much as he stayed at yours. You were joined at the hip. Hell, he would even finish your sentences, and I'm sure if you didn't try to keep up that aloof attitude, you would have finished his as well. Don't give up before even starting. Yeah, Naruto is hurting, but he's getting better. Every day he's a little better. He goes out a little more. I was a little afraid when I first saw you because I didn't want to hurt Naruto, but now that I think about it; you're the best thing that has happened to him since Hinata's death."

Sakura was always like that, letting her mind be known and offering advice. He scowled at her for being so intuitive. "I'm not giving up anything."

"Yes, you are. I can hear it in your voice."

"I'm not abandoning Naruto like before. I've got business in California, but I'll be back. It won't be like before. I'll do my damnedest to be a friend to him."

Sakura's large green eyes blinked at him. "You're leaving?"

"Tonight. I just needed to tie up some loose ends. I'm sending your file to Temari Sabaku. She's a hard ass, but she'll make sure you get the best exposure and the best deals. She knows what she's doing and how to deal with the label I arranged for you."

"Is this what you do, Sasuke? Are you running again?"

"I'm not running. This is my career."

"What about Naruto?"

"I'll call him soon."

Her eyes narrowed and she half stood, reaching across the table and slapping him hard across the face. "I know I told you to be yourself, but don't be a complete bastard. He's opened himself up when he knows he might end up hurt again and you're doing the same thing, running away. What happened last night, Sasuke? Why are you scared?"

"It's nothing..."

She slammed her palm down on the table and growled. "Don't play that shit with me. It doesn't work. Talk."

It seemed that Sakura had learned to see through the guise he placed around himself. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Did he dare open up himself to another? She seemed to realize his feelings for Naruto without ridiculing him for them—even seemed to understand and relate with them.

"Sasuke..."

"I kissed him," he growled.

"You kissed Naruto? How did he respond?"

"He didn't...he was passed out at the time."

Her eyes went wide. "You stole a kiss while he was passed out drunk?"

He closed his eyes and counted to ten. He didn't want to open them and see the look he knew was in her eye. What he had done to Naruto, or rather, what he had taken from him was a personal shame he did not want others to know. He was never good at sharing his emotions with others.

"Sasuke," she whispered and brushed a touch over his hand. "I'm not judging you."

And the dam he had constructed and polished for years, since long before he left Konoha, burst. "I couldn't resist. I've wanted him for so long. It's the reason I left. I couldn't stand the thought of him being angry with me or leaving me for thinking of and wanting him that way. Last night, I was weak and I kissed him...and he responded. He kissed me back."

"But?"

"He said her name." Sasuke felt his jaw tighten and the true heart of his shame come to light as he spoke. It was not the kiss causing him so much shame. "Is it bad to hate a dead person?"

Sakura's features softened and she shook her head. "I think the only reason you can hate Hinata is because you didn't know her. You've got to realize, Sasuke. Naruto isn't ready for romance. I don't think he would be opposed to being with a man, if that's what you're afraid of. I think that his grief is what is holding him back and you have to be willing to deal with that. I can't offer you advice in this, but as one friend to another, be Naruto's friend. Treat him like a friend. Don't hide from him."

Sasuke frowned. "How do I do that?"

"Well, you can start with telling him that you're leaving. It's not like before. This is your job. Just let him know that you're going to come back. He needs that from you...he needs you. Something has been missing from him since you left. That something is you."

"And how I feel?"

She shrugged and sat back with a sigh. "That's something only you can decide. I can't say how he will react and you two don't need things being any more awkward between you. Just do what you think is right."

oOo

Naruto groaned and rolled, trying to get warm despite the blanket over him. He rolled, and rolled right off the couch with a thud. A groan rumbled from his chest and he struggled against the feeling of a swollen tongue and the taste of something having crawled into his mouth and died. The throbbing in his skull did not seem inclined to stop and he stumbled down the hall toward the washroom where he downed several cups of water before finally lifting his gaze to the mirror.

"Damn," he muttered upon seeing his haggard face. His cheeks were unshaven and his eyes were the epitome of blood shot.

Brushing the vile taste from his teeth and tongue with his toothbrush, he struggled to bring back the alcohol induced dream. It was beautiful and he had not wanted to awaken from it. It was a bit cliché, but dreams usually were. 

It had started off fuzzy as he lingered in that place between sleep and wake before finally drifting off completely. Hinata had sat beside him in the park. A soft light had surrounded her features, causing her natural beauty to shine forth even more radiantly. She had the understated sort of beauty that was often overlooked when placed beside someone like Sakura.

Her smile was gentle and almost understanding as she touched his arm and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. At the time, he remembered being shocked at her words. He couldn't remember what she whispered to him. It had felt as if she was speaking to him through cotton or water. All he knew was that it felt like goodbye. Then, she had kissed him. It was sweet and gentle and he couldn't help but respond. A niggling thought told him the kiss didn't feel like her, which was ridiculous because she was the one kissing him. Then she had pulled away and he was left alone in the park. He whispered her name before falling to the ground. His heart told him he would never see her again, at least not in this life.

Staring at his face in the mirror, he lifted a hand to where a tear trailed down his cheek. Damn, but he hated when he cried. Knocking sounded on the front door and he spat out the last of the toothpaste. The knocks grew louder and more insistent the longer that time passed, aggravating his threadbare nerves. "Just a minute, stop beating down my door," he yelled.

The door flew open and Sasuke stood there, looking like someone who had not been drinking last night. "You know, if you were any sort of friend, you would have gotten drunk with me."

"You just want to see me hung over."

He inclined his head with a grunt. "That would have been a definite plus."

Sasuke snorted and walked into the apartment. He ignored the man and made for the kitchen where he stored some aspirin. "This is your fault that I feel like this," he growled and downed two tablets before slumping on a stool.

"Don't blame me for you getting drunk."

"I didn't see you stopping me."

"I learned long ago not to try and stop you from doing anything you wanted." Sasuke chuckled and moved the fridge. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to some if you're cooking." That was one part of hang overs that he was grateful never affected him. His stomach was cast iron and could withstand anything, even a drinking binge, without a peep. Already it was growling in need of food.

Sasuke snorted at the rumbly sound and set about pulling eggs and vegetables from the fridge. "I'm a little surprised that you have these?"

"Well, some of you did rub off on me," grumbled Naruto.

"At least something did considering all the junk food you ate when we were in high school. It's a wonder you don't have a heart condition."

Naruto rolled his eyes and snatched a piece of diced tomato from where Sasuke was chopping the vegetables, earning him a pop to his wrist. "Hey, I'm hungry."

"Why don't you get the bread and make some toast while I do the eggs?"

He grumbled, but did as asked and pulled the toaster and some loaf bread from the small pantry. Soon the smell of warm bread, butter, and eggs filled the kitchen. It was early afternoon, but there was no shame in eating breakfast food any time. It was easy and delicious, what more could anyone ask for? The only thing better would be some ramen—not the block kind, but real ramen.

Sasuke settled two plates of omelets onto the counter and took a slice of toast for himself before digging in. Naruto followed and nearly moaned in delight. "Damn, Sasuke. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"I took a few cooking classes a few years ago. I was living alone and tired of eating out."

Naruto took another bite and sighed happily. "Marry me?"

Sasuke froze mid bite, drawing Naruto's attention. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head and lowered his fork to his plate. "You just reminded me of something I need to tell you."

It took only a split second for Naruto to sense the sudden strain in the air. He swallowed back the sudden lump in his throat. "What did you need to tell me?"

"Two things, actually. One is that I have to leave town. My boss has me checking out a band in California, but I'm coming back. It just might be a week or two. If what Kakashi sent me is true, several firms are going to be courting them and my job is to make sure we're the one they choose for their representation."

"You're leaving?"

"I'll be back. I told you that I was serious about working things out between us. I won't ever leave you like I did before. Even if you want me to, I'll always be nearby." He pulled a card from his wallet and passed it to Naruto. "That has my cellphone number and email."

Naruto rubbed his fingers over the expensive card. Something warmed inside him at the thought of Sasuke coming to him and letting him know he was leaving. It was how friends should act and that he gave him a way to contact him was even better. He realized for the first time in a while, he was happy. Sakura was right about him after all. He never could hold a grudge for long. The only reason his anger had lasted so long was because if he allowed his anger to fade, then he would have nothing tying him to Sasuke.

"At least you're doing it right this time," mumbled Naruto with a smile.

Sasuke's lips twisted in what looked to be a painful smile. Something chilled inside him and he frowned in response. "What's wrong?"

"The other thing I wanted to tell you."

Naruto blinked slowly. "Oh, well what is it? You're not going to break the law or anything, right? If the police come asking questions, I'm not going to jail for you. And I'm not bailing you out either, just so you know."

Sasuke scoffed and shook his head slowly. "I'm not doing anything illegal."

"Then, what is it? It can't be that bad?"

Sasuke paled visibly and he wondered what could be so bad to scare Sasuke. He'd been unshakeable throughout the entire time he had known him. The look on Sasuke's face was starting to worry him. "Sasuke?"

"I don't really know how to say this, but I was talking with Sakura today. She and I talked about a lot of things, you mostly. She said she couldn't tell me what to do, but that I should always be honest with you. That as a friend, I owed you that much...and considering how things went when I didn't put everything out there, I have to agree with her."

"What are you talking about? Are you dying or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Sasuke shifted where he sat before taking a deep breath. "I love you, Naruto."

Not sure he had heard him right, he shook his head. "Come again?"

"I love you."

How the hell was he supposed to respond to that? They were dudes. This man was his best friend in high school. Hell, he probably still was his best friend. "I...love you too?"

"No. I mean, I love you in the sense that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've loved you since I was fifteen. I don't expect anything from you and I know you're not ready for that sort of thing, but I had to tell you."

His heart gave a heavy thud in his chest and he blinked several times. He really was not sure what to say. How did one respond to a confession such as that? He could not be angry at him because there was really nothing to be angry at. It was not often that he was stunned speechless, but today definitely fell into that category.

"I'm leaving tonight on an eight o'clock flight. I've just really wanted to tell you that for a long time and I figured I should before I left. If you hate me, it's alright."

"I don't hate you...I just...I don't think of you like that."

Sasuke smiled and nodded. "I know. I just felt I should tell you how I feel, in case you didn't want me to come back."

"I don't know...I mean...geez, Sasuke...you throw this at me right now and expect a response." Naruto sifted his fingers through his hair and swallowed thickly. "I...I need to think."

Sasuke nodded and stood, taking his barely touched plate to the sink. "I'll call you when I'm finished in California. We can go from there. I'm sorry."

Naruto sat staring blankly as Sasuke brushed past him. He felt almost numb inside—shock mostly. At least he wasn't disgusted. He had never been with a man, but he had never been disgusted by the thought either. But Sasuke?

How had he not seen it? If Sasuke had feelings for him since back then, why couldn't he recall any awkward moments or random boners? Surely there would have been some sort of sign to tell him. He knew he was not the most observant crayon in the box, but he liked to think it would have noticed anything like that.

Then, there was Hinata. He loved her still. It was hard to imagine being with anyone else. Some part of him knew that he would eventually move on. He wasn't even thirty yet. But it was hard to move past that.

He moved from the table, leaving his plate where it sat and to the couch he had rolled off of earlier. Closing his eyes, he attempted to come to terms with what Sasuke had said. He didn't want it to come between them because the thought of not having Sasuke in his life after he had just come back to him hurt worse than the odd awkwardness of knowing that his best friend probably masturbated to thoughts of him.

Sasuke had said love, but to a man, love and sex went hand in hand. He had no illusions that Sasuke possessed only pure, innocent love for him. The thought of such a thing strained incredulity. There were most definitely some naughty thoughts mixed in with love.

He snorted in amusement. Even through the strangeness of it all, he still found something to amuse him.

Thoughts swirled in his head—memories of the past. He had nearly relaxed into a light doze when the memory of Hinata's words came back to him, as if sent by a lightning bolt.

"It's alright to move on, Naruto. You'll know when you're ready. Until then, leave yourself open. There is someone who loves you and is willing to wait for that time, if you'll only ask that of them."

His eyes shot open and he stared at the ceiling. A glance at the clock showed that he had fallen asleep. It was nearly six. "Shit."

He rubbed a hand over his face and thought back over the remembered words. They were definitely something she would have said. He wanted to argue that he didn't want to move on. Maybe that was why she had kissed him, to keep him from arguing.

Reaching for the phone, he quickly dialed Sakura's number and sighed with relief when she answered. "Naruto?"

"Sasuke confessed to me."

A long moment of silence preceded her words. "As in...confessed his love?"

"Yes. He said he'd loved me since high school. Did you know about it?"

"No...though I'm kicking myself for not having recognized the signs. Looking back, he wore the same look in his eyes that I wore so obviously on my face."

Slumping back on the couch, he groaned. "I had almost hoped that it wasn't true."

"Does it bother you?" she asked in hesitation.

"Not really. I'm not sure what I feel, but I don't hate him for it. I feel...sad."

"Sad?"

Naruto laughed bitterly as he stared at the wall. "You're going to laugh at me."

"You know I would never do that over something serious."

"I'm sad that he never told me before. I mean, would things have been different if he had told me back then? I can't say I would have told him no. Would he have still left without me if he'd told me? And then I'm ashamed, because I never would have been with Hinata if that had happened and I don't even want to think about that."

Sakura released a shaky breath. "Sasuke told me that the reason he left was because of his feelings. He was afraid of you finding out and hating him for it."

"What? I'd never do that," he shouted into the phone.

"We were kids, Naruto. We weren't thinking like adults and he was scared," she returned in an equally loud voice.

"I know," he sighed. "I just don't know what to do. Things feel different between us."

"That's because you're both different people now. You can't expect things to be as if he never left. And now he's told you that he loves you. How did you react?"

"I told him I didn't feel the same."

He could practically hear Sakura wince. "How did he take that?"

"He just...left."

"Naruto, just like with Sasuke, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but you need to make things right between the two of you before he leaves. It's not about love or sex; it's about the two of you. Don't leave him to worry over things between you. You need to tell him that things are alright between the two of you before he leaves or he might decide that he doesn't want to come back after all."

Naruto felt a wave of panic rush through him. He remembered what it felt like before, to lose him and have no way of finding him. "I don't want to lose him."

"Then do something. He's your friend; let him know that the two of you are okay."

"I guess I could call him."

"I think it would be better if you went and saw him off. Show him that it doesn't matter."

Naruto nibbled on his lower lip. "I don't know..."

"Trust me, Naruto."

oOo

Sasuke walked into the airport and directly to the desk of the airline his firm used. As promised, his ticket was waiting on him—first class as always. Being the best at what he did had its perks.

He checked his suitcase and then accepted the boarding pass from the woman. He had a little over an hour until his flight. He wasn't particularly looking forward to the security checks and sighed. Flying was becoming more trouble than it was worth.

With roll of his eyes, he adjusted the carry-on bag on his shoulder and moved into the nearest line leading into waiting areas for the various airlines. Konoha's airport wasn't particularly huge. It was large enough to play as a layover stop to some of the larger airports and therefore had plenty of security.

He was nearly to the front of the line when he heard his name shouted and turned just in time to see Naruto walk through the crowd of people. "Naruto?"

Naruto strode up to him and folded his arms across his chest. "What the hell did you give me your cell number for if you weren't going to answer it?"

Naruto had called? Sasuke reached into his pocket and winced as he saw the phone was on mute. He had gone ahead and done so for the flight. "I'm sorry."

Blue eyes rolled. "You're high maintenance, aren't you?"

"Sir?"

Sasuke turned to see the security guard gesturing for him to step forward with his boarding pass. He glanced back to see Naruto and then back to the guard. Without a thought, he stepped out of line. "I'm going to talk to my friend. I'll get back in line afterwards."

The woman looked to want to argue, but considering the person behind him was already moving ahead, she let it go. She was probably about to get off anyway.

"Why are you here, Naruto?"

"I had to let you know that I don't care. I wanted you to know that I'm okay with you feeling like that...and maybe if things were different..."

The words weren't really that hopeful, but for some reason, the created a spark in him. The depression that had enveloped him since leaving Naruto faded away and he smiled as relief worked through him. "I'm sorry for throwing it at you. I didn't want there to be any more secrets between us."

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was kind of weirded out a little at first, but it never bothered me. I wanted to tell you that."

"You could have just left a message on my phone."

"I couldn't do that," he said. "I wanted to make sure you came back. I wanted...I don't really know, I just wanted to make sure you knew."

Sasuke nodded, happy beyond belief. His felt his eyes soften and his heart melt. "Thank you."

Naruto began shifting nervously and release a small laugh. "I also wanted to make sure you knew that I'm not ready for anything like that. I still think about Hinata every day. I still miss her and wish she was here, but...I've come to terms with the knowledge that one day I'm going to wake up and it's not going to hurt so bad. I'm going to be ready to go out on dates and have a relationship. I don't know how long it's going to take. So maybe then, if you're willing to wait...we can...you know."

"No, I don't know," he teased.

"God, stop being an asshole." Naruto shoved his shoulder and turned away to hide the flush on his cheeks. "I'm trying to be understanding here."

"I know." Sasuke clasped a hand on Naruto's shoulder and forced him to turn and face him. He leaned forward and brushed their lips together. It lasted for only a second before he pulled back, though the fingers of his hand remained on Naruto's cheek for a few seconds longer.

"Why did you do that?" asked Naruto with wide eyes.

"I just wanted to kiss you when you were awake."

Naruto blinked dumbly for a second before flushing red. "You say that like you've kissed me before. I think I would remember kissing you. Did you kiss me and I not know it?"

Sasuke couldn't stop the smirk from curving up his lips. "I guess I'll leave that to your imagination."

He watched anger flash across his friend's face and his heart thumped hard in his chest. He loved watching the play of emotion across Naruto's face, always had. 

"You're an asshole," snarled Naruto and turned on his heel to storm away before freezing and swinging around to face him. "And you better be back home in two weeks."

With that, Naruto stormed away, and a smile broke across his face. That was one order he was definitely going to follow. He licked at his lips and imagined he could taste Naruto on them. There was no way Naruto would mistake that kiss for anything but a kiss from him.

Naruto had come to the airport. He had given him hope, which was more than he could have hoped he would have. Now, he had a reason to come home.

He froze and thought over that word. Home. Naruto had said for him to come home. It had been a long time since he had called any place that. Naruto had given him hope, not the stuff of dreams but real hope—hope that one day he would be allowed the freedom to kiss and touch him whenever he liked. One day Naruto's wounded heart would heal and he would be there to reinforce it. It was more than he could have hoped for as he finally passed through the security checks and nearly missed his flight as a result. Nothing could remove his good mood because the patch used to mend his soul was renewed with the hope that Naruto's words brought.

The End.


End file.
